Login
close
Login is restricted to DCN Publisher Members. If you are a DCN Member and don't have an account, register here.
Search

Digital Content Next logo

Menu

Tags containing: "digital advertising"

Streaming advertising has matured
Advertising | Revenue | Supporter Spotlight | Video

Three signs that streaming TV has come of age with advertisers

Hulu and Netflix’s streaming services turn 18 this year. This marks a symbolic coming of age for two pioneers that took two very different paths but nevertheless freed us from appointment TV and — let’s not hold back — reinvented television in the process.

The coming of age is not all symbolic. If you’ve been in the TV business for a while, like I have, you must have felt a wind of change over the past year with the rapid rise and adoption of ad-supported streaming. In meetings with advertisers, agencies and media companies leading up to the TV upfronts this year, I’ve been struck by how much streaming was now on everyone’s minds. Not as a distraction, or even an add-on, but as a central component in upfront negotiations. Streaming has matured into a strong, accountable media channel old enough to vote, get married, and bring its own fireworks to the negotiating table.

The numbers back it up. At MediaRadar, we’re monitoring ad spend and campaign creatives across all major media channels 24/7. We’re seeing three big signs of streaming’s coming of age: in how growth is spread across most platforms, not just one or two; in the number of industries embracing it; and in the diversity of companies signing on as advertisers.

We just released The 2025 MediaWatch® Streaming TV Report to quantify recent US trends and help advertisers make data-informed decisions about their streaming plans. Let me sum up what we found in those three key growth areas.

Streaming advertising spend is growing across virtually all platforms

It’s going to take some time to see this year’s upfront deals reflected in the data. However, a full-year analysis of streaming budgets over the past couple of years shows clearly what trendline we’re on. We measured ad revenue for nine top streaming platforms over that period and found that it increased 17% in 2024 to reach $12.9 billion.

Hulu led the way with close to $4.5 billion in ad revenue last year, nearly 3X as much as second-place Peacock TV — a clear reflection of its first-mover advantage and experience in ad sales. With a growth of 15% year-over-year, the OG ad-supported platform isn’t resting on its laurels either, but Peacock TV and Max are growing a clip faster (+19% and +20% respectively), while Tubi TV (+27%) and Paramount+ (+31%) are racing to close the gap.

As for Netflix, its comparatively low growth rate in 2024 (+8%) had more to do with the company’s cautious rollout so far. (It has more to lose by cannibalizing its considerable SVOD base) than its full potential as an advertising platform. But it’s turning up the heat in 2025: Despite a challenging economic outlook, Netflix is aiming to double its ad revenue this year.

A wide cross-section of industries are embracing streaming

Advertising on streaming platforms has gotten a lot more polished in the past 12 months. Targeting, creativity, and frequency control have improved dramatically — even though I’m seeing a lot of State Farm ads featuring Jason Bateman these days. But then again, I like Jason Bateman and I’m due for an insurance quote, so they might be onto something.

Speaking of insurance, finance & insurance firms topped the advertisers list on streaming TV last year with nearly $1.7 billion in media spend, followed by retail ($1.2 billion) and pharma ($1.1 billion). Among the leading industries, pharma, restaurants, professional services, and non-prescription remedies are all growing at a YOY rate of at least 20%. 

Can you guess what brand spent the most on streaming TV in 2024? That was Pfizer, with a budget of $140 million (+11%) and at a time the company was slashing costs. But even more telling is the fact that 29 brands spent more than $50 million on streaming last year, and they came from eight different industries. Streaming already represents 25% of total TV spend for auto manufacturers, 26% for retailers, and 31% for travel companies. It’s definitely not a niche channel anymore.

Streaming appeals to brands of all sizes

The third and final sign of maturity I want to point out is how much streaming has become an appealing option not just for big brands, but for smaller brands too.

While the number of big spenders—those with streaming budgets of at least $50 million—rose 16% last year, the total number of streaming advertisers, both large and small, jumped 29% to nearly 14,000 individual companies. The vast majority of these advertisers—81%—didn’t spend a dime on traditional TV.

To gauge the health of a new medium, we often focus on big news coming from big-name brands signing nine-figure deals. But it’s good to remember how crucial it can be to appeal to the long tail. While the leading brands are using streaming to expand their existing TV strategy, SMBs without the same marketing resources are taking advantage of self-service programmatic tools to experiment with TV advertising, many of them for the first time. Thanks to streaming, thousands of new advertisers are adding TV to their media mix.

Can streaming fend off tariffs and economic uncertainty?

Will streaming continue to grow at the same rate in 2025? Probably not. From consumer confidence to supply chains, pricing, and budgeting pressures, the current economic environment is too uncertain to invite confidence. In fact, most industry analysts have already revised their advertising estimates for the year. Jerome Powell’s remarks at the most recent Fed meeting — “I don’t think we can say which way this will shake out” — weren’t exactly encouraging.

But the fundamentals are finally in place for streaming: strong platforms, near-universal industry support, and high relevance to brands of all sizes. In fact, if advertisers are going to bet on one channel this year, they need to bet on streaming TV, says eMarketer. That’s because CPMs are coming down, streaming ads are successfully threading the needle between digital and traditional advertising, and yes, they’re measurable too.

All grown up indeed.

Advertising | Policy

Senate testimony: A call for accountability in digital advertising

As CEO of Digital Content Next (DCN), I testified on April 1, 2025, to the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Antitrust on behalf of our members—leaders in trusted journalism and premium entertainment. My testimony addressed the persistent anticompetitive behavior of dominant tech platforms, particularly in the digital advertising market. While our members come from diverse media backgrounds, they all rely on fair access to the open internet to create, distribute, and monetize original content. Yet today’s digital ad marketplace lacks basic rules, allowing tech giants to operate without accountability—fueling opaque practices, data arbitrage, and conflicts of interest that harm publishers and consumers alike.

Since my testimony, Judge Leonie Brinkema ruled that Google abused its monopoly in ad tech, with remedies now under consideration—including potentially breaking up parts of its ad business. Meta also faces an ongoing antitrust suit from the FTC. While these cases are encouraging, legislative action is essential to prevent further harm.

That’s why DCN strongly supports the bipartisan AMERICA Act, introduced by Senator Lee. The bill sets clear, common-sense rules to restore transparency, promote competition, and curb platform abuses. This will ensure a fairer digital marketplace for content creators and the public.

Key points from Jason Kint’s testimony:

Surveillance Advertising Dominance

Google and Meta built their advertising empires by embedding surveillance across the open web, exploiting content and user data without consent or fair compensation.

Market Distortion and Publisher Harm

The current ad tech system strips value from professionally created content, impairs subscription growth, and erodes trust by favoring opaque, engagement-driven algorithms.

AI Repeating the Pattern

Generative AI models are being trained on copyrighted works without permission, threatening to displace original content and replicate past harms.

Call for Policy Action

DCN supports the AMERICA Act’s measures to rein in conflicts of interest in ad tech, alongside broader calls for privacy legislation and copyright protections in the AI era.

Preserving Democratic Institutions

Without reform, unchecked platform power will continue to undermine the premium news and entertainment that consumers love.

A businessman pushing against a brick wall to represent Google's Ad Tech monopoly
Advertising | Policy

It’s official: ad tech is stacked against you

On April 17, a federal judge affirmed what those in the digital media industry have known and argued for years: Google operates and maintains an illegal monopoly in the ad tech market.  

In the 115-page decision, Judge Leonie Brinkema found that Google willfully acquired and maintained monopoly power in the publisher ad server market and the ad exchange market. The ruling states that Google unlawfully tied its publisher ad server and ad exchange, in violation of Sections 1 and 2 of the Sherman Act.

Judge Leonie  Brinkema found that Google’s exclusionary conduct not only limited competitors’ ability to compete. In fact, it “substantially harmed Google’s publisher customers, the competitive process, and, ultimately, consumers of information on the open web.”

A brief history of ad tech

Advertising and publishing have always been intrinsically linked, with the former owing much of its initial success to the latter. The emergence of newspapers and other print publications allowed the advertising industry to solidify and grow, providing advertisers with a platform to place their content.

As both industries increasingly turned digital, programmatic advertising emerged, which automated the process of matching the available ad space publishers sought to sell, with the ads advertisers sought to place. In the milliseconds that it takes a user to open a website, a real-time bidding process takes place, in which the user’s impression is auctioned off to advertisers competing for available ad space to capture this impression.

These auctions are facilitated by ad exchanges, which “serve as the critical intermediary between advertisers’ ads and publishers’ inventory by facilitating real-time auctions in which advertisers can bid on inventory.” In order to manage and sell this inventory, publishers utilize publisher ad servers which “make it easier for publishers to place multiple sources of advertising demand in competition against each other.”

Ad exchanges, publisher ad servers, and other technologies make up what is commonly known as the “ad tech stack.”

Google currently operates the largest ad exchange, AdX, and the largest publisher ad server, DoubleClick for Publishers (DFP).

Google’s monopoly

In her ruling, Judge Brinkema found that both publisher ad servers and ad exchanges constitute distinct relevant product markets, and that Google possesses monopoly power in both markets. This conclusion was based on Google’s predominant share of both markets and high barriers to entry and expansion for competitors.

(Judge Brinkema also found that advertiser ad networks, another component of the ad tech stack, did not constitute a distinct relevant product market, as argued by the DOJ.)

In terms of the publisher ad server market, Google’s DFP held between 91% to 93.5% of the worldwide market from 2018 to 2022. This market share has been durable due to publishers’ ability to only use a single ad server for open-web display ads and the complex and resource intensive nature of attempting to build an ad server.

As a former Google executive stated, switching publisher ad servers “[t]akes an act of God to do” and is a “nightmare” because “[n]othing has such high switching costs.” In fact, even Meta, one of the world’s largest tech companies, shut down a project aiming to build an ad server “due to the significant barriers to gaining scale in a market dominated by Google.”

In terms of the ad exchange market, Google’s AdX holds a market share about nine times greater than that of its next-largest competitor while charging a higher “take-rate” per display transaction. The inability of competitors to constrain AdX’s pricing, despite charging nearly half what AdX does per transaction, directly points to its monopoly power in the market.

Google willfully maintained its monopoly power in both markets by tying DFP to AdX by imposing “technical and policy restrictions that prohibited publishers from receiving real-time bids from AdX (the tying product) unless they also used DFP (the tied product).” This tying forced customers to use a product they maybe would not have chosen otherwise and reduced the market share for rivals that could not compete on the merits.  

How this monopoly impacts audience experiences

Although “search” is likely the concept people most closely correlate with Google, Google is fundamentally in the business of advertising. With the majority of its core services being offered at no financial cost to users, nearly 80% of the company’s revenues come from digital advertisements.

Due to its prevalence in search, browsing, email, mapping, file storage, word processing, translation, and video sharing, “Google arguably sits on the most valuable data asset in the world.” For years, this data asset, comprised of information from every action made on its properties, has been used by Google as a bargaining chip in its quest to control more of the advertising market that feeds its ever-growing gargantuan power.

The monetization of their websites is “crucial for publishers who wish to retain a greater degree of editorial independence.” As a result, the world’s most trusted publishers have been left with no realistic alternative in the publisher ad server and ad exchange markets as they continue to weather the storms of the digital landscape.

As publishers are forced to pay significant fees to Google and contend with policies that prevent them from securing the most value for their ad space, they are precluded from investing these resources in fostering their editorial operations and bettering the consumer experience. This means fewer articles from your favorite authors, fewer episodes of your favorite podcast, fewer detailed statistics on your favorite sports teams, all while Google uses your data to keep publishers captive to its products.

As Google and the DOJ now contend with the possible remedies to be imposed, consumers should remain engaged on this issue and be wary of arguments that Google’s monopoly is somehow beneficial to the average person. For too long, consumers and publishers have been on the losing side of Google’s control of the ad tech stack. Judge Brinkema’s decision points to a brighter and fairer future ahead.

Social and streaming are redefining the video entertainment and streaming market
Industry-Research | Research | Video

How social and streaming are redefining video entertainment

While we’ve seen shifts in consumer behavior over the past few years, they are now happening at an accelerated pace, which impacts those in the media and video entertainment sectors. Younger consumers, in particular, are moving away from traditional pay TV subscriptions in favor of streaming services, social platforms, and gaming. The rise of short-form, algorithm-driven videos offers an endless supply of free content that keeps users engaged for hours. These platforms excel in curating and promoting personalized experiences through AI and recommendation algorithms.

Thus, it won’t come as a big surprise that social platforms now account for more than half of U.S. ad spending, which positions them as major competitors to traditional media outlets. According to Deloitte’s Digital Media Trends 2025 Report, social platforms have become the new center of gravity in media, capturing both consumer attention and advertising dollars.

The report highlights that younger generations, especially Gen Z and millennials, are likely to cancel their cable subscriptions, citing high costs and frustration with the volume of ads. With cable bills averaging $125 per month, the appeal of traditional TV services is fading. For younger viewers, free content on social media and affordable, ad-supported streaming services provides a more cost-effective alternative to pricey cable packages.

As a result, pay TV subscriptions are declining steadily, dropping from 63% to 49% of U.S. households over the past three years. SVOD services now offer a wider range of options, including live sports, which once was a driving force for much of the pay TV market. Additionally, many users turn to social media for news and sports highlights, further eroding the traditional TV audience. consumer media habits include

Advertising landscape

With advanced ad tech and data analytics, social platforms dominate the global ad market. Deloitte’s research shows that ads on social media are more likely to influence Gen Z and millennials than ads on traditional TV or streaming services. The younger generations appreciate the relevancy and personalization of social media advertising. By comparison, ads on traditional media feel more intrusive and less targeted, which diminishes their effectiveness.

For traditional media companies, these trends present a significant challenge. Studios and streaming services increasingly turn to ad-supported subscription tiers to lower costs and attract a wider audience. However, these services still face an uphill battle in attracting advertisers away from the social platforms that dominate the digital ad space. The advertising capabilities of social platforms are advanced, as they leverage sophisticated algorithms and AI to target specific audience segments with highly relevant ads.

Streaming services

While streaming video services offer consumers a wealth of content, they have their own set of challenges. Rising subscription costs are creating dissatisfaction among users. The research shows that 41% of consumers feel that the content available on SVOD services is no longer worth their price. This is particularly evident as streaming costs rise—on average, SVOD subscribers pay $69 per month, a 13% increase from the previous year. Many consumers, especially Gen Z and millennials, cancel services and jump from one streaming provider to the next in search of better value.

Moreover, the advertising-supported tiers of SVOD services have become a crucial part of many companies’ strategies to lower subscription costs while generating revenue. However, this model comes with trade-offs. While 54% of SVOD users say they subscribe to at least one ad-supported service, many express frustrations with the volume of ads. To compete, media companies must find a price point that works for consumers while balancing the needs of advertisers and content creators.

Content creator connection

Content creators have become a central force in the media landscape. Social platforms offer a new generation of influencers whose content drives engagement and shapes consumer behavior. For younger generations, creators are now as influential as traditional TV stars and movie actors. In fact, many consumers report feeling a stronger personal connection to their favorite creators than to the personalities they see on traditional TV. This trend is fueling the growth of social media platforms as major entertainment hubs.

This shift represents an opportunity to tap into the growing creator economy. By leveraging social media, media brands can engage audiences in new ways and tap into the influence and authenticity that creators bring to the table.

As social platforms and content creators continue to dominate the entertainment landscape, traditional media companies must reevaluate their content strategies and business models. The merging of social platforms, creators, and on-demand services is reshaping the media’s core. Media companies will need to adapt to the changing demands of consumers, who now expect more from their entertainment experiences.

Levers controlling revenue from multiple sources to show the revenue streams for streaming and digital video
Industry-Research | Video

Streaming revenue sources are shifting 

The transition away from traditional pay-TV is accelerating. In fact, traditional TV no longer dominates the video subscription market. By 2028, traditional pay TV’s share of video subscription revenues will decrease to just one-third. Meanwhile, digital pay-TV services, also known as virtual multichannel video programming distributors (vMVPDs), will increase their share from 13.2% in 2025 to 15.4% by 2028. These services, including YouTube TV, Fubo, and Sling TV, deliver linear TV content over the Internet, making them appeal to consumers seeking flexibility and lower costs than traditional pay TV. 

Emarketer’s Digital Video and Trends report for Q1 2025 shows that streaming services are poised to achieve even greater growth, increasing their share of video subscription revenues by about eight percentage points by 2028. Notably, YouTube has become a significant player in the subscription business. While YouTube remains known for its free, ad-supported platform, its YouTube Premium and YouTube Music services collectively boast over 100 million subscribers. YouTube TV, which claimed 8 million U.S. subscribers in 2024, is also contributing significantly to the growth of digital pay TV. 

Rising costs and consumer behavior 

Although subscription revenues still dominate the streaming sector, rising prices are reshaping consumer behavior. In recent years, both traditional pay-TV and streaming services have raised prices, driven by inflation. However, streaming services have increased prices at a faster rate over the past two years, surpassing the cost growth of traditional pay TV. This price disparity has triggered consumer pushback, especially as streaming services introduce price hikes and clamp down on password sharing. 

the prices of streaming services outpace inflation which drives streaming revenue

Streaming giants like Netflix, Hulu, and Disney+ employ strategies to boost profitability, including raising subscription costs and limiting account sharing. These actions, along with content cuts, have led to some consumer dissatisfaction. Despite these challenges, streaming services remain profitable on paper. 

Among the streaming platforms, Hulu and Disney+ have made some of the largest price increases for their ad-free plans. While Apple TV+ stays relatively affordable, its library lags behind competitors. All the while, it has  doubled its subscription price since launch. 

Live sports drives subscription growth 

Streaming services are capitalizing on the growing demand for live sports, which increasingly draws subscribers away from traditional TV. Major streaming platforms, such as NBCUniversal’s Peacock and Amazon Prime Video, continue to invest heavily in sports rights. This is further shifting the sports broadcasting landscape from traditional TV to streaming platforms. By 2027, digital sports viewership will surpass traditional TV viewership by 52 million viewers, signaling the ongoing transition in how consumers watch live sports. 

YouTube TV’s growth and the digital pay-TV market 

YouTube TV is seeing significant success among the growing digital pay-TV services. As traditional pay-TV continues to shed subscribers, YouTube TV is adding them at a steady pace. By 2026, it will become the largest pay-TV operator in the United States. Although YouTube TV is not yet profitable, it is an important player in the broader digital pay-TV market, now accounting for about one-fifth of total pay-TV subscription revenues. 

The digital pay-TV market is also experiencing consolidation. In January 2025, Hulu + Live TV and Fubo TV announced a merger. Disney will hold a 70% stake in the new venture, with Fubo’s leadership overseeing operations. Although Hulu + Live TV and Fubo will remain separate offerings, this consolidation may lead to further streamlining of the digital pay-TV space. 

Shifting streaming revenue streams: subscription vs. advertising  

Streaming subscription revenue

While subscriptions still represent the majority of revenue for streaming services, advertising is growing in importance. From 2023 to 2027, advertising’s share of total streaming revenues will increase by nearly four percentage points. This rise in ad spending reflects the growing significance of connected TV (CTV) platforms, a critical avenue for advertisers looking to reach consumers on streaming services. 

In fact, CTV ad spending may exceed 15.8% year-over-year growth in 2025, outpacing the 10.6% growth forecast for U.S. streaming subscription revenues during the same period. However, both advertising and subscription revenues in traditional TV are in decline, though price increases for subscriptions help slow the rate of decline. 

While this Emarketer report focuses on the U.S. market, it’s important to note that streaming services are also seeing significant growth worldwide. As of Q2 2024, nearly 60% of Netflix’s revenues come from outside of North America. While prices are lower in regions like Asia and South America than North America and Europe, the global growth potential for streaming services remains immense. Countries across North America, South America, Europe, and Asia-Pacific are seeing high levels of subscription penetration, with streaming services continuing to expand their reach internationally. 

Digital Pay TV contributes to streaming revenue

The video subscription landscape is undergoing a dramatic transformation. Traditional TV’s dominance is slipping as streaming services and digital pay-TV providers continue to capture an increasing market share. For media executives, this shift presents both challenges and opportunities.  

Subscription revenue remains the primary source of growth for streaming services. Rising costs and consumer demand for more flexible, lower-cost options continue to shape the industry. At the same time, the increasing importance of advertising revenue, coupled with the global expansion of streaming platforms, offers new avenues for monetization. Staying ahead of these trends and adapting to the evolving market dynamics is key to maintaining a competitive edge in this rapidly changing ecosystem. 

Ad Operations Professional using automation
Advertising | Supporter Spotlight

The tactical wins that follow automation in ad ops

For many Ad Operations teams, the deadlines haven’t changed, and neither have the expectations. But how the work gets done is finally starting to shift. Automation is leading the way, helping teams speed up processes, reduce errors, and ease operational strain.

However, the true value of automation begins after workflows are streamlined. From proactive optimization to deeper cross-functional collaboration, the real impact of automation is showing up in ways that go far beyond simply eliminating manual tasks. Here’s what changes when Ad Operations teams finally get the time and space to think strategically.

From bottlenecks to bandwidth: wins with the first wave of automation

For Ad Operations teams, the case for automation often starts with urgency. Reporting that takes hours. Campaign setup bogged down by manual handoffs. These aren’t abstract challenges, they’re daily frictions that delay progress, introduce risk, and drain team energy.

That’s why the first wins with automation tend to be tactical. This includes automating reporting, streamlining QA, and improving consistency in trafficking. And these wins are transformative. Workflows get faster. Makegoods and errors decrease. Pressure eases. But that initial wave of automation – as valuable as it is – only scratches the surface of what’s possible.

Because speed, while essential, isn’t the endgame. It’s the beginning of a broader shift. When time is no longer devoured by repetitive tasks, the conversation changes. The real opportunity emerges: what to do with the space automation creates.

How Ad Operations teams use the space automation creates

As automation clears the deck of manual tasks, the shape of the work starts to change. Hours lost to reports and errors are now redirected to analysis, optimization, and strategic collaboration.

Teams start catching issues earlier. They engage more closely with sales and strategy. They make in-flight adjustments that actually move the needle. Instead of being pulled in ten different directions, they finally have the space to focus on outcomes.

In our research, 63% of Ad Operations professionals  said their teams don’t have enough time to be proactive. That kind of constraint doesn’t just create stress – it blocks progress. But the teams that lean into automation aren’t just running faster. They’re thinking smarter, working better, and stepping into a more strategic role.

As one ad sales leader put it, “The benefit of automation is saving time and allowing me to do the other 60% of my job.” When the noise of execution quiets down, what emerges is a function that drives innovation, insight, and impact.

Unified workflows unlock better outcomes

Still, making the shift from execution to strategy takes more than time. It requires systems that support the shift. Ad Operations professionals need systems where workflows are connected, not scattered, with teams stitching the process together by hand.

In many organizations, media planning, creative approvals, campaign setup, and billing still live in separate systems. Teams rely on handoffs, manual updates, and cross-checking just to keep campaigns moving. The result? Details slip through, errors multiply, and opportunities to optimize are missed.

Automation is what brings those moving parts together. By integrating processes end to end, it eliminates manual gaps, accelerates handoffs, and ensures that data flows cleanly across tools. With real-time visibility, teams can catch issues early, make faster adjustments, and collaborate more effectively.

It’s no surprise that 59% of professionals named quality control as a top priority for automation. When workflows align, quality isn’t something you chase; it’s something built in from the start.

Automation makes scale possible – without more headcount

When workflows are unified and quality is built in, teams work more efficiently and are positioned to scale without breaking pace or adding headcount. That’s what automation makes possible. It doesn’t just help teams catch up. It gives them the infrastructure to take on more without compromising quality or timelines.

One Media & Entertainment company from our research saw automation increase their operational capacity by 30% to 50% – all without impacting headcount. For organizations facing tighter budgets and rising demands, that kind of lift matters.

It also evolves roles. As repetitive work is automated, time opens up for work that actually requires expertise: optimizing campaigns, solving problems before they escalate, and collaborating across sales and strategy. Our research found that 90% of professionals  are open to their roles evolving with automation because the nature of the work is already shifting.

Scaling used to mean doing more with more. Now, it means doing better – with the same team and the right tools already in place.

How automation aids Ad Operations from bandwidth to business impact

Automation may start as a fix for inefficiency, but its long-term value runs deeper. It redefines how teams operate, the way work flows, and where time gets spent. When repetitive tasks fall away, what fills the space is more revealing. Ad Operations professionals find themselves with greater capacity for strategic work, the ability for sharper decision-making, and a clearer path to performance gains.

This shift isn’t theoretical. It’s already underway. Teams are scaling without adding headcount. Workflows are aligning. Roles are evolving. And the impact of ad operations is expanding well beyond execution.

What automation ultimately brings to the table isn’t just speed. It delivers the momentum and operational readiness required for sustainable growth. And it offers Ad Operations teams a competitive edge in a dynamic, performance-driven market.

Fingerprints on a face to suggest identity solution in digital advertising
Advertising | Supporter Spotlight

Why fingerprinting has a complex relationship with addressable advertising 

On February 16, Google relaxed its restrictions on fingerprinting for ad targeting and user tracking across a wide range of devices. Their December 2024 announcement reignited debates about privacy, security and the role of passive device identification in digital advertising. The announcement was certainly a radical reversal from 2019, when Google said it would block fingerprinting for its lack of transparency. But with this recent change of heart, Google now refers to fingerprinting as a technology designed to make it easier for advertisers to reach audiences across the open Internet and to harness the hyper-growth of connected TV (CTV) programmatic advertising.  

Google justifies its about face because, they suggest, advances in privacy-enhancing technologies (PETs) make it possible to protect audience data—including IP addresses and device fingerprints—in ways that are now more sophisticated than they were in the past.  

Maybe, but there’s a catch

Open Internet digital advertising—particularly programmatic advertising—is all about real-time addressability, measurement and performance optimization. Facing signal loss from fewer cookies and mobile device IDs, our industry has cleverly created a handful of new identity systems that utilize hashed emails (HEMs) and device fingerprints. While each of these technologies delivers a unique value to advertisers and publishers, they all come with certain downside commercial risks beyond their challenges to online privacy. Among the group, fingerprints tend to elicit a more negative reaction from privacy professionals. Frankly, it’s entirely reasonable to be concerned.  

That’s because fingerprints are passive and permanent. They’re passive because fingerprinting technologies can uniquely identify a browser or mobile device without anyone’s active acknowledgement or consent. They’re permanent because fingerprints can’t be deleted unless you change your browser or device. 

An express lane to data commoditization  

When publishers permit their audiences to be fingerprinted, that unique—and permanent—identity data immediately falls into the hands of a third party. Each fingerprint has the potential to siphon away valuable audience data, eroding the very asset publishers rely on for revenue.  As they say, “you can’t put the genie back in the bottle.” The audience data leakage risk for publishers is acute, and the impact is inventory value commoditization. Simply stated, when advertisers can find your uniquely identifiable audience more cheaply, they will. 

Despite these data leakage risks, it’s important we don’t throw out the baby with the bathwater. Device fingerprints serve an important commercial purpose because the lion’s share of the open Internet remains unauthenticated. Thus, absent a third-party browser cookie or mobile device ID, deterministic addressability and measurement are simply impossible.  

To put this commercial challenge into perspective, Safari and Firefox block third-party cookies, leaving 35% of the U.S. web unmeasurable. Apple holds 58% of the U.S. mobile market and more than half of users have entirely opted out of third-party in-app tracking with the remainder only selectively opting in.  

Fingerprinting can be an effective way to mitigate the commercial downside of these open Internet statistics. Yet there’s clearly a tension that requires advertisers and publishers to balance the business benefit fingerprints create for addressability and measurement. They must also factor in the importance of privacy—both in the face of regulation and in the context of consumer trust—as well as the underlying economic value of each party’s customer data and intelligence. 

Choose your next PET carefully  

If the Google Chrome team makes good on its promise of a “global cookie prompt,” then it’s very clear why the Google adtech team is suddenly much less opposed to device fingerprinting. When Chrome third-party cookies disappear, extended IDs—and especially fingerprints—will become the open Internet’s most scalable options for addressability, measurement, insights and optimization.  

Which is why now is when advertisers and publishers need to be investing in solutions that balance data protection with data accessibility at the speed, scale and low-cost parameters required for open Internet programmatic advertising. For brands, customer intelligence is a key competitive advantage. And for publishers—so many of whom have experienced first-hand what a decade-and-a-half of audience data leakage has done to the value of their inventory—the negative economics of loose data sharing practices are abundantly clear. For both sides of the buy-sell equation, consumer data is the key to performance.  

As the industry grapples with the evolving landscape of identity and privacy, the debate over fingerprinting underscores a broader truth: no identifier—whether fingerprint-based, email-derived, or otherwise—is without risk. The key lies not in avoiding identifiers altogether but in implementing strong, enforceable protections that preserve consumer trust while enabling addressability, measurement and performance across the digital ad ecosystem. 

Video

The TV schedule is back. Here’s why media executives should care

Once, TV schedules shaped daily life. Thursday nights were sacred, saved for Friends and ER, and fall premieres were as anticipated as the holidays. Then streaming platforms shattered these habits, replacing them with on-demand, binge-anytime freedom.

But something unexpected is happening. Weekly episode drops are back, seasonal viewing habits are reemerging, and the TV screen is fighting to reclaim its dominance. For media and advertising executives, this hybrid model—combining the best of TV’s past with streaming innovations—presents a new frontier. Is the traditional TV schedule truly gone, or has it just evolved?

When TV schedules ruled the day

In TV’s heyday, schedules and dayparts dictated how and when audiences consumed content. Mornings belonged to breakfast shows like Good Morning America, where weather forecasts and lifestyle tips mixed with ads for cereal and cleaning products. Afternoons catered to homemakers and retirees with soap operas and talk shows, drawing advertisers of household goods and pharmaceuticals.

Then came primetime, the crown jewel of TV’s dayparts. Millions tuned in to comedies, dramas, or blockbuster specials, and advertisers paid a premium for coveted slots during hits like Seinfeld or Lost.

Seasonality was just as critical. Fall premieres built anticipation for new storylines, while sweeps months like November and February featured high-stakes episodes designed to maximize ratings. Even summer, once a wasteland for reruns, became a testing ground for reality hits like Survivor. TV schedules weren’t just a habit; they were a cultural cornerstone.

The rise of streaming platforms like Netflix and Disney+ upended TV’s structure. Viewers no longer waited for Thursday nights; they binged entire seasons in a weekend. According to Netflix, 80% of subscribers watch full seasons within a week of release. The communal “watercooler moment” migrated to TikTok and YouTube, where memes and clips went viral.

Advertisers quickly adapted to streaming’s vast data capabilities. Ads became hyper-targeted, evolving with viewers’ life stages and even their locations. Forget what city you’re in? The ads during your morning news update will remind you.

Streaming ushered in a world of “everything, everywhere, all at once,” breaking the rigidity of TV schedules. But that same freedom introduced new challenges, including fragmented audiences and oversaturation.

The unlikely comeback of scheduling

Despite streaming’s dominance, old habits are making a comeback and it is important that media executives understand the impact of these shifts. Shows like Gilmore Girls see a spike in Netflix views each fall, aligning with seasonal moods. And what topped the streaming charts over Christmas this year? That’s right, Christmas movies – and not even good ones.

Viewers also continue to consume different types of content at distinct times of the day, on different devices – family and kids content peak on TV screens in the evening while teen dramas are primarily watched on smartphones, according to a digital-i study. Even YouTube is seeing a shift: 45% of its viewership now happens on TV screens in 2023, up from less than 30% in 2020.

This resurgence of structure has led streaming platforms to revisit old strategies. Weekly episodic releases, once dismissed as outdated, are now commonplace. According to Parrot Analytics, 75 of the 100 most in-demand U.S. series in early 2023 were released weekly, compared to just nine that dropped entire seasons at once.

The return of live and appointment viewing is another striking trend. Sports have proven that gathering audiences in real time still holds value. Netflix’s NFL Christmas games in 2024 broke records, drawing over 24 million viewers per game. Amazon’s Thursday Night Football also highlighted how live events can drive engagement, reigniting the idea that shared viewing moments still matter.

For streaming platforms, these events are a way to mimic the communal experiences traditional TV excelled at, while keeping viewers engaged over time.

The bottom line

In today’s hybrid era, in which consumers are looking for the best of TV and streaming, there are some traditional tactics that have matured and taken on renewed relevance.

  1. Seasonality still drives success
    Certain times of the year lend themselves to specific types of content. Cosy dramas in fall or feel-good reality TV in summer can capitalize on seasonal preferences and stand out in crowded markets.
  2. Dayparts have evolved, not disappeared
    Audiences still follow daily rhythms, though across different platforms. Media companies can “own” these moments by tailoring content for devices and time slots—morning news on phones, evening dramas on TV.
  3. Weekly drops build community
    The return of episodic releases shows that viewers value anticipation and shared experiences. For media companies, weekly drops can foster loyalty and extend audience engagement over longer periods.
  4. Ad models must adapt
    Balancing subscriptions with ad-supported content is key. Live events and structured schedules open doors for innovative ad formats, from programmatic spots to integrated sponsorships.
  5. Streaming is maturing
    With increased competition, streaming platforms must focus on differentiation. Exclusive content, curated schedules, and live programming can help platforms stand out in a crowded field.

The hybrid era of TV and streaming has arrived. It’s no longer about choosing one over the other but about blending the best of both worlds. For media executives, success lies in agility—meeting audiences where they are while still offering the shared experiences they didn’t know they missed. TV’s golden age isn’t over; it’s just been reinvented.

About the author

Claire Tavernier is a senior media and digital advisor based in the UK, and the co-host of media business podcast The Media Beat. She is the Chair of the Film and TV Charity and Charity Digital and an advisor to Unbound Publishing and The Reykjavik Global Forum.

Advertising | Industry-Research

How a TikTok ban could reshape ad spending

Social media and digital advertising dynamics are once again at a critical juncture. On January 19th, TikTok resumed service in the United States after a brief disruption, much to the relief of its 115 million U.S. users. President Donald Trump’s executive order to delay banning the app for 75 days allows TikTok to seek a U.S. partner to address security concerns. However, TikTok’s future uncertainty is shaking up the digital ecosystem as major platforms and advertisers prepare for potential disruptions.

Sensor Tower’s latest data paints a vivid picture of TikTok’s role in the U.S. media and advertising market. The platform drives 88 million daily hours of consumer engagement, generates approximately $2 billion in annual consumer spending, and commands an 8% share of the digital advertising market. Should TikTok face another ban, competitors like Meta and Alphabet, alternatives like Snapchat, and emerging platforms are all poised to capitalize.

Consumer engagement: the TikTok effect

TikTok’s popularity has reshaped how users consume short-form videos. However, its dominance in engagement reveals a troubling trend. Overall time spent on short-form video apps dropped by 4% year-over-year in 2024, with TikTok’s U.S. engagement declining by 12% in Q4.

Despite this decline, TikTok’s success has forced competitors to innovate aggressively. Platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube ramp up their short-form video offerings with features such as Reels and Shorts. In Q4 2024, users spent 54 million hours daily on YouTube Shorts, 28 million on Instagram Reels, and 26 million on Facebook Reels. Notably, Facebook Reels experienced the most robust growth, with engagement rising 87% year-over-year. Instagram (+18%) and YouTube (+7%) would follow.

Snapchat, too, is stepping up its game. The rollout of its “Simple Snapchat” interface aims to streamline access to Spotlight, its short-form video feature. This move positions the platform to attract a larger share of TikTok’s audience in the event of a ban.

Advertising dollars at stake

In 2024, Tiktok platform held an 8% share of U.S. digital ad spend, with Walmart, Google, and Amazon ranking among its top advertisers. If TikTok exits the U.S. market, Sensor Tower projects that platforms like Meta and YouTube will inherit significant portions of its ad revenue. Specifically, Meta is expected to gain four percentagepoints of TikTok’s ad spend share, split between Instagram (three percentage points) and Facebook (one percentagepoint). YouTube and Snapchat are likely to gain two percentage points.

This shift would reinforce Facebook’s position as the U.S. social media ad spend leader and enable it to command a 35% share by Q4 2025, followed by Instagram (30%) and YouTube (19%). Meanwhile, Snapchat’s share could rise to 6%, with smaller platforms like Pinterest and Reddit collectively accounting for less than 5%.

In-app purchases offer lucrative opportunities

TikTok’s innovative monetization strategies have set a high bar for competitors. Since its launch, U.S. users spend over $4 billion on TikTok Coins, an in-app currency for tipping creators and promoting videos. In 2024, TikTok’s $1.7 billion in U.S. in-app revenue outpaces Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and Snapchat combined.

If TikTok exits the U.S. market, its competitors will inherit a significant portion of this revenue stream. Sensor Tower predicts that Instagram’s in-app revenue could surge by 790% year-over-year in Q4 2025, more than double the growth rate of its peers. YouTube, however, would maintain its leadership, with projected in-app revenue of $442 million in Q4 2025, roughly double that of Instagram and Facebook.

Lessons from India’s TikTok ban

India’s 2020 TikTok ban provides valuable insights into what might happen in the US. Before its ban, TikTok was India’s largest short-form video platform, boasting 169 million monthly active users and a significant share of app engagement. After the ban, platforms like Instagram and YouTube surged in downloads and engagement, while local players such as Moj and Josh quickly gained traction.

Sensor Tower estimates that Instagram and YouTube could see similar growth in the US, with their engagement hours rising by 40% and 12% year-over-year, respectively, in Q4 2025. Snapchat growth may lead the pack with an 89% increase in daily engagement hours, driven by its Spotlight feature and streamlined interface.

Challenges and opportunities

The media industry, particularly those in the social and short form video space, cannot ignore TikTok’s vast influence on consumer behavior, advertising, and monetization. Competitors are already responding by enhancing short-form video features and exploring new monetization strategies. Platforms that successfully replicate TikTok’s creator-driven ecosystem—complete with seamless in-app payment systems for tipping and promotions—will likely capture the lion’s share of user engagement and revenue.

With billions of dollars in ad spend and consumer engagement at stake, media companies and advertisers will closely monitor how this story unfolds. Whether TikTok stays in the U.S. market or not, its success—and potential absence—continues to shape the future of social media and digital advertising.

Advertising | Industry-Research | Revenue | Supporter Spotlight

Are legacy channels starting to hijack digital budgets?

In the first eight months of 2024, digital channels captured $107 billion in media spending, or nearly two-thirds of all available advertising dollars in the U.S.

Is it the end of the road for legacy advertising channels like print, TV, radio or out-of-home?

Keeping track of media spending

I’ve spent the past 20 years working in advertising, on the buy side, sell side, and right in the middle as a third-party data provider. I can’t recall a time when the industry didn’t predict that digital advertising would one day overtake traditional advertising. In the U.S., that threshold was reached in 2019 — to no one’s surprise — and digital media now accounts for 65% of all media spend around the country. But over the past year, I’ve noticed a fascinating new dynamic at play.

It appears that new digital channels aren’t stealing media dollars from traditional channels like they might have done in the past, but from other digital channels.

At MediaRadar, we monitor millions of brands around the clock and keep track of their day-to-day media investment decisions. We help advertisers understand what their competitors are up to and publish regular public reports on the state of the industry. We just released a new comprehensive report that shows that digital channels are continuing to grow, but at uneven rates, and that some traditional channels are surprisingly resilient, against all odds. For media executives looking to stand out in an incredibly crowded media environment, the strategic implications are momentous.

Digital channels dominate media spending budgets

There’s no question that digital media still dominates media budgets across most industries — from CPG to department stores, automotive, quick-service restaurants (QSRs), tech, or financial services. Digital channels like paid search, mobile, or paid social offer advertisers superior targeting capabilities, immersive user experiences, and a direct link to crucial outcome metrics like sales and new subscriptions.

Paid Search, for instance, grew 6% for the Jan-Aug 2024 period compared to the same period in 2023. Mobile grew 9% and display advertising 20%, buoyed by their versatility along the whole consumer journey (from top-funnel brand awareness campaigns to bottom-funnel sales conversions) and a mature programmatic ecosystem.

Traditional channels show resilience

Traditional channels aren’t growing as fast but they’re holding their ground. Linear TV, for instance, experienced a 3% increase in spending in 2024, driven by the continued appeal of high-profile sporting events and record-breaking political ad spending. These events draw large, engaged audiences to linear TV, and that won’t stop anytime soon now that TV rights for the NFL and NBA have been renegotiated.

Local radio remained relatively stable too (it declined by 1% in 2024), offering consistent reach for both local and national advertisers. Its ability to target specific geographic areas with tailored messaging continues to make it invaluable for local businesses. 

Where to draw the line?

What should we make of new media channels like over-the-top (OTT) streaming, podcasts, or retail media? Are they new digital channels or digital reincarnations of traditional media channels with a different distribution method?

We’re starting to see some evidence that much of the money being poured into OTT these days isn’t coming from linear TV budgets anymore but from other digital channels, like online video. Similarly, podcasts aren’t cannibalizing local radio, and retail media isn’t growing at the expense of in-store advertising. Those new channels are as much a threat to digital media dollars as they are to traditional media dollars.

Traditional media channels are reinventing themselves for the digital age, and the line is starting to blur between traditional and digital media. At the Upfronts and NewFronts this year, streaming will be a central part of the conversation, not just a sideshow, and it will be crucial for media executives to offer combined audience packages that integrate the reach of traditional media with the targeting capabilities of streaming platforms.

Cross-channel synergies are the future

With so much fragmentation in the media environment, it’s become extremely difficult for brands to reach their target customers and prospects. Omnichannel marketing has become a top priority for them, which means that media companies need to collaborate more with one another to present a united front — from planning to activation and measurement.

Now more than ever, a well-balanced media mix is crucial for advertisers to maximize reach and engagement. Digital channels like paid search (24% of total media spend), mobile (14%), or paid social (10%) are leading the charge. But traditional media like linear TV (23%), radio (3%), and even print (6%) still hold significant value, especially near the top of the funnel. It’s time to develop more cross-channel synergies so that advertisers may curate a consistent and engaging user experience across all the touchpoints in their media mix, captivate consumers, and nurture long-lasting relationships with them. AI and advanced analytics can help, but only if the strategy is clear.

So yes, after years of digital channels hijacking media dollars from legacy channels, legacy channels are now flipping the script and reinventing themselves on the back of digital channels. In 2025 and beyond, let’s not talk about who is stealing what share of voice from whom anymore. Rather, let us focus on working together to meet advertisers’ objectives and deliver a better all-around consumer experience. The advertising pie will take care of itself.

Advertising | Featured Post | Revenue | Video

Streaming and advertising: A classic tale—with a twist

The value proposition of streaming may once have been ad-free experiences. However, today’s media companies seek to have as many viable revenue sources as possible. And, for streamers, that inevitably means showing commercials. However, there’s a balancing act between offering a streaming service worth subscribing to and advertising experiences worth paying for.

There are lessons to be learned throughout the streaming ecosystem. One thing that experts agree on is that improved targeting is critical to attract brands and advertisers. Providing the insights that marketers want is essential for getting them to spend their ad dollars on streaming platforms.

Mixed revenue moves to the fore

The shift to a mixed model didn’t all happen this year, but these last 12 months feel like a point from which there is no turning back, not least because Amazon Prime Video joined Netflix in having an ad-supported offering. Other services have had them from the outset—a smart move given the high sign-up rates for ad-supported streamers.

Adding a cheaper ad-supported tier into the mix helps streaming services bring in the last holdouts and retain more of those that may be tempted to quit. To some extent, the companies actually want their customers to drop into the advertising tier because the more people seeing adverts, the more the streamers can charge for the spots.

Amazon faced a particular backlash when it launched its ad-supported tier on Prime Video this year. Unlike equivalent offerings on Netflix and Disney+, which make such tiers cheaper, Prime Video subscribers get adverts by default at the existing price and have to pay extra to not see them. To encourage retention when introducing an ad tier, companies must avoid making users feel like they are getting a degraded service or having a price rise forced upon them.

For Netflix, the addition of an ad-supported tier seems to be working. In the third quarter of this year, it added 5.1 million subscribers. The company said that in countries where the Basic with Ads tier is available, it accounted for over 50% of those taking out a subscription. This growth is crucial to Netflix because, while it might be the biggest streamer overall, it needs to find a way to bring that heft to its advertising offering.

A course correction

This is all despite the fact that, for years streamers (and Netflix in particular) worked hard to convince the audience that they wanted subscriptions instead of adverts. As Tom Harrington, Head of Television at Enders Analysis puts it: “Netflix had been telling its subscriber base for basically a decade ‘ads are the worst thing. You don’t need ads. Just pay us money.’”

However, after two bad quarters, the streamer changed its tune and launched the Basic with Ads tier in 2022. Harrington describes this as a “kneejerk” reaction. He believes that the Netflix ad product is not innovative. He also argues that traditional ratings arbiters produce more reliable data and provide a better understanding of who is actually seeing the adverts.

The lack of granularity remains a key problem among streamers as they try and draw in brands. Harrington explains that “Netflix doesn’t really know that much about its subscriber base” and argues that Netflix “is not set up” for advertising and rather rushed out its product.

The ad tools from Netflix and other streamers remain rather blunt and old-fashioned. These firms know which account played a show and which ads were served, but seemingly very little beyond that. Ollie Beckwith, Head of Digital Engagement at consultancy Sodali & Co. shares a similar view to Harrington.  He argues that other digital platforms might still be more useful to advertisers, despite the popularity of streaming.

“Even in an evolving cookie-less world, social channels like LinkedIn have grown to reach users based on highly detailed demographic variables,” he said. “On the flip side, despite Amazon owning Amazon Web Services (AWS), a platform that collects and delivers data and insights, the targeting capabilities on Amazon Prime Video are too broad to have a meaningful impact on corporate individuals, the same can be said about advertising on Apple TV.”

Thus, it is critical that streamers work to improve their targeting capabilities to stay competitive in the digital ad space. AI is likely to play a significant role in this. Spotify has already incorporated it and other platforms need to focus on an effective rollout of ad-related AI technology for everything from operations to creative.

Offer meaningful advertising opportunities

Jayesh Rajdev, Controller of Advanced Advertising at ITV, a Public Service Broadcaster (PSB) in the UK, pushes back against the narrative that streaming ads are inefficient. He says that the partnerships his company has with credit ratings agency Experian and major supermarket Tesco help it provide its advertisers with meaningful targeting.

He explains that ITV has “a really well-established partnership with Tesco where we’ve matched [streaming service] ITVX users to Tesco Clubcard holders at a registered user level. So, you’ve got the biggest viewer graph, if you like, matched to the biggest shopper graph.” Ultimately, the ITV ad innovator argues that the “ability to build an almost funnel centric approach to how you use or deploy your TV advertising has become really powerful.”

Things are moving forward too. “We’re evolving from attributes to attributes plus intent,” he says. I.e., instead of just knowing characteristics of the person with the account, they can identify some shopping intentions too. This is going to be another crucial thing for any streaming platform to develop moving forward.

Streaming advertising opportunities ahead

Given the developments we’ve already seen over the last 12 months, the year ahead in streaming advertising is likely to be a fascinating, and rapidly evolving, one. Making advertising more interactive will be one area of focus for the industry.

Mike Caprio, SVP, GM Global Advertising at unified video tech platform JWP Connatix believes that in 2025 we will see “the fusion of commerce and video as payment processors like PayPal and eCommerce platforms like Shopify enter the fray. Shoppable video—with seamless purchase integrations—emerges as a critical tool for performance-driven campaigns.”

Rajdev reveals that ITV is “about to launch our own really pioneering lead gen ad format that is all remote control initiated for the viewer, and a really slick experience that enables our to convey interests in an ad on ITVX really, really quickly and in a super, super slick way.”

Another key area of opportunity is sports, where viewers are generally used to, and accepting of, advertising. “Sports will serve as a huge opportunity for the growth of ad-supported streaming in 2025,” according to Keith Bedford, General Manager EMEA of streaming tech company Wurl.

“As studios and sports broadcasters struggle to tie in major upfront deals and connect with younger audiences, new models for revenue and content discovery will be required,” adds Bedford. “Short-form video could be one way we start to see sports content companies garner interest and boost engagement for their long-form and TVOD [transactional video on demand] businesses.”

One thing is clear, from adding interactivity to improve targeting, those offering ad-based streaming platforms are going to have to keep innovating if they want to draw in marketing dollars from big brands. Despite the fact that streaming seems to edging closer to classic television experiences (and business models), today’s brands expect to know their money is being spent wisely, and streaming platforms will need to prove it.

Advertising | Revenue | Supporter Spotlight

4 Improved monetization paths for publishers in 2025

In 2024, the publishing and broader digital landscapes faced seismic shifts, many of which were beyond publishers’ control. New privacy regulations, continued identifier loss, and Google’s indecision on third-party cookies have left publishers grappling with uncertainty when it comes to how they translate their audience relationships into meaningful, monetizable ad experiences. That uncertainty will follow the industry into the new year and beyond. 

Yet, amid this turbulence, publishers can still chart their own course toward sustainable revenue growth. The key lies in leveraging new tools and strategies to improve monetization while still staying true to editorial missions. Let’s explore four promising opportunities for publishers in 2025.

Tapping into AI for better ad experiences

The implications of generative AI extend well beyond content. New capabilities are also changing the way publishers approach ad experiences. With AI-driven tools, publishers can enable their advertisers to create tailored creative that aligns with individual audience preferences, increasing engagement and commanding higher premiums.

Dynamic ad creative has long been an underused tool. Now, with advancements in AI, publishers have a growing array of options for implementing real-time adjustments to ad content. With OpenAI revamping Sora and other text-to-video AI tools hitting the market, generative AI will increasingly extend into the realm of video ad customization based on the surrounding content or the visitor’s interests.

Native advertising is also poised to benefit significantly from AI. By generating and testing multiple headline variations, optimizing ad copy, and ensuring contextual relevance, AI empowers publishers to elevate native ad performance. These tools not only boost returns for advertisers but also streamline content creation processes, making premium advertising formats more accessible for advertisers and lucrative for publishers.

Using predictive modeling to unlock new revenue

For publishers, any unique signals they are able to draw from their first-party data and pass along to buyers are key to growing revenue. The importance of being able to package this first-party data and pass it into the bidstream to DSPs cannot be overstated. 

When it comes to deriving value from first-party data, the increased sophistication of predictive modeling represents a game-changer for publishers seeking more-sustainable revenue growth. Using their valuable first-party data, publishers can create sophisticated models that anticipate user behavior and use the insights from those models to improve both content and ad delivery. 

One of predictive modeling’s most compelling applications lies in audience extension. By analyzing their existing audience’s attributes and behaviors, publishers can identify similar audiences beyond their platforms. These audiences can be targeted off-site, with a portion of the resulting ad revenue feeding back to publishers. 

Additionally, combining first-party data with contextual and engagement signals allows publishers to predict ad performance with greater precision. This approach enhances the value of inventory by ensuring ads resonate with the intended audience, thereby driving higher yields.

Finally, beyond immediate monetization, predictive modeling helps publishers expand their audience base. By leveraging data to attract and retain new users, publishers not only grow their first-party data assets but also position themselves for longer-term revenue gains.

Building profitable commerce media partnerships

The paths of digital publishing and commerce media are becoming more deeply intertwined as we move into 2025—and that’s a good thing for both sides. Strategic partnerships between publishers and commerce platforms can unlock new revenue streams across the board while enhancing the consumer experience. It’s one of those notorious but rare win-win-win scenarios. 

Consider the partnership between Best Buy and CNET, through which curated CNET editorial content complements the Best Buy shopper journey. By integrating expert reviews and recommendations into its platform, Best Buy offers a richer user experience without having to develop content capabilities internally. Meanwhile, advertisers can share ad spaces across Best Buy and CNET, “allowing them to see the impact of their advertising campaigns through a full-funnel, closed-loop media solution.” For CNET, this means new valuable audience insights and ad revenue are being unlocked simultaneously. This isn’t terribly dissimilar from the benefits Yahoo sought to unlock with its partnership with Lowe’s back in 2022. 

Publishers are uniquely positioned to provide the educational and inspirational content commerce platforms need to engage customers at the top and mid-funnel stages of their journeys. By joining forces, publishers and commerce platforms can deliver cohesive advertising solutions that cater to performance-driven and branding objectives alike, while also aligning with the needs of their respective audiences.

Unlocking the underleveraged mid-funnel

All three of the previously mentioned opportunities point toward a broader pivot that publishers should be making in 2025: deepening their focus on monetizing the mid-funnel, where consideration is born. The mid-funnel represents a crucial, often-overlooked stage of the customer journey that is a natural fit for publishers looking to derive the greatest possible value from their audiences and content. 

By analyzing behavioral patterns and preferences, AI and predictive modeling can empower publishers to target audiences in the mid-funnel—those who are aware of brands but have yet to establish their consideration set—with greater precision. Likewise, commerce media partnerships further enhance mid-funnel monetization opportunities by spotlighting and placing value on publishers’ ability to create engaging, informative content that complements commerce platforms’ transactional focus.

Finally, as an important new piece of the puzzle, emerging mid-funnel measurement tools are not providing unprecedented visibility into mid-funnel performance. These solutions allow publishers to easily quantify the impact of content-driven campaigns on brand consideration, pre- and post-campaign, offering insights that can inform campaign enhancements around this important metric of success. 

As publishers navigate the evolving digital landscape in 2025, they’re more in control of their own destinies than it might sometimes seem. By embracing generative AI, predictive modeling, commerce media partnerships, and a deepened focus on the mid-funnel, publishers can unlock sustainable new or improved revenue streams. These strategies not only enhance monetization but also preserve publishers’ ability to produce the vital content that informs and enriches society. In this regard, the above strategies aren’t just opportunities—they’re responsibilities. 

©2025 Digital Content Next. All Rights Reserved.